Help me choose please!

[YianniKavas]

If anyone can let me know of any major pros or cons for either of these bikes that would be amazing!

Ive got the list down to 4:
Cannondale Synapse 7 Sora $1200
Trek 1.5 Tiagra $1190
Giant Defy 3 Sora $1000
Felt Z85 Sora $900

Ive test ridden all of them and the Synapse is by far the most comfortable, but is it worth getting the Trek for the Tiagra groupset at a cheaper price or is the frame more important?

or do I go for the cheaper options for a first bike then upgrade in the future?

cheers

[silentbutdeadly]

If it fits...Synapse. Groupsets are consumables. Frames are for life.

[YianniKavas]

If it fits...Synapse. Groupsets are consumables. Frames are for life.

thanks for the reply!

I went down to another LBS who offered the Synapse for $1300 with free upgrade to 28mm tyres and a free fitting.
or still have the 1.5 for $1190 with free fitting but with the life long warranty on the frame.

[m@]

A frame may be for life, but is Crack'n'fail's "lifetime" warranty?

[silentbutdeadly]

True. Dorel are not nice people. But it is what it is. And if it fits then...what else is there? 3 weeks of discomfort and a decade of purchase regret?

[mikkel]

I would recommend the Tiagra equipped bike over Sora.
The Tiagra shifters can be operated both up and down when your hands are on the drops. Sora has the thumb lever for changing to higher gears. Tiagra is also better quality, so the shifting will be better too.

Mike

[m@]

True. Dorel are not nice people. But it is what it is. And if it fits then...what else is there? 3 weeks of discomfort and a decade of purchase regret?

I'm not suggesting he should buy a bike that doesn't fit him; chances are all on the list would be fine. Personally I wouldn't go near such a dodgy company on principle, but either way it's worth noting that the advertised lifetime warranty doesn't exist purely from a value-for-money point of view.

I would recommend the Tiagra equipped bike over Sora.
The Tiagra shifters can be operated both up and down when your hands are on the drops. Sora has the thumb lever for changing to higher gears. Tiagra is also better quality, so the shifting will be better too.

Mike

Just to muddy the waters, Sora 3500 no longer has thumb triggers and is pretty much indistinguishable from previous years' Tiagra by most accounts.

[koshari]

Just to muddy the waters, Sora 3500 no longer has thumb triggers and is pretty much indistinguishable from previous years' Tiagra by most accounts.

Pretty much. Both groups FD, RD, crankset and brakes are virtually the same however the sora are 9 speed and tiagra 10 speed cassette and brifters.
Claris seems to have taken the old sora pricepoint with 8 speed and the older stryle octalink bb while 105 is now 11 speed with ultegra style 4 arm front crank.

Imo unless you racing A grade its a thinner faster wearing chain versus slightly fewer gearing combinations.

Fwiw i have a mixture of 8 and 9 speed on my steeds and ride at about C grade level with compact 35/50 fronts and 11-25/28 rears.